Spanish Sportswomen in Social Networks: Presence and Visibility in a Digital Environment

Presencia y visibilidad en un entorno digital

Resumo

Women’s elite sport has experienced a boom in recent years, mainly due to the presence of female athletes in national and international competitions and their achievements. However, their presence in the media is traditionally lower than that of their male counterparts. In this context, female athletes have profiles in social networks that represent their own communicative space. They do not depend on media coverage, thus contributing to the expansion and strengthening of women’s sport. This research addresses the study of the presence of women athletes in social networks, in which platforms they are present, which are the most used, and if their reach has to do with the sport discipline they practice. For this purpose, an exploratory study was conducted by selecting the 50 most influential Spanish sportswomen according to the Forbes Women list. Applying a quantitative methodology, ad hoc variables have been defined to address the question, which can be replicated in subsequent studies of similar characteristics. The results point to a majority use of Instagram, which is also the network they update the most, as well as a scarce use of their web platforms, without finding a pattern in sports discipline among the sportswomen with the highest number of followers. The study contributes a perspective focused on sportswomen’s own profiles, as opposed to the prevailing research on their media representation.